Let’s Talk Sales! CFS Roundtable on Leveraging LinkedIn – Episode 51

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LinkedIn and networking are our key topics for May at CFS, both on the blog and in the podcast. So in this “CFS Talks Sales” roundtable, we share best practices for leveraging LinkedIn.

In this episode of Let's Talk Sales, you'll hear from Rebecca Smith, Charles Bernard, Arianna Miskel, and me, Elizabeth Frederick.

Rebecca recently re-published her eBook called How to Generate Sales Leads Using LinkedIn. In case you missed it, you can check it out here.

In the podcast, we shared advice for leveraging LinkedIn at any stage of your career. We shared stories about how we've each used LinkedIn, as well as examples from others. Each of us shared our ideas about common challenges people have using LinkedIn. We also shared best practices and actionable advice for leveraging LinkedIn.

Rebecca talked about how CFS worked to crack the LinkedIn code 3 years ago. Charles shared a story of how he got a big client through LinkedIn. Arianna noticed the differences in engagement you can cause through increasing LinkedIn activity. And I shared an example of customizing my LinkedIn newsfeed to make it more relevant to my interests.

Also in this episode, Charles discovered a similarity between scuba diving and LinkedIn. You'll have to listen to figure it out!

Keys to Leveraging LinkedIn

1. I reminded everyone to make sure your profile is complete. For senior executives, I recommended growing your network and sharing and promoting company updates. Sales leaders can leverage LinkedIn as well to help their team members connect with prospects. And salespeople can build their personal and professional brands.
2. Arianna recommended that sales executives focus primarily on the big picture, using LinkedIn for PR. She encouraged sales leaders to lead by example and develop LinkedIn processes. For salespeople, she recommended that they schedule time weekly to use LinkedIn to prospect.
3. Rebecca talked about the importance of having a LinkedIn buddy at any level.
4. Charles suggested storing email templates in your PlayBook.

Resources for Leveraging LinkedIn

We referenced a few of our free resources in the podcast, and you can find them here.

• How To Generate Sales Leads Using LinkedIn: 2 Tried-and-True Methods to Target, Prospect, and Close Sales Deals Without Cold Calling – This is Rebecca's latest eBook.
• Charles Bernard on LinkedIn – Connect with or follow Charles for regular updates and best practices for sales growth.
• The CFS Guide to Solving Sales Problems: Head Trash. How to CRUSH the #1 Problem for Salespeople & Sales Managers [and all other humans!] – Arianna and I discussed the importance of avoiding head trash.
• Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile to 5 Stars! – Rebecca referenced this excellent webinar with Joe Apfelbaum, where he shared great tips including how to download your LinkedIn connections.

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If you have any questions or suggestions for the podcast, please leave a comment below. And if you’d like to be a guest on the show, please contact us at podcast@criteriaforsuccess.com.

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Lastly, if you enjoyed this discussion, check out our previous “CFS Talks Sales” roundtable discussions. We've shared best practices in a number of areas!

In earlier episodes, we talked about building stronger relationships, improving customer service, and managing change. More recently, we've been talking about sales goal management, sales accountability, and managing personal development.